


In Another Life

by Asselin



Category: Tales of Symphonia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Animals, Alternate Universe - Genderbend, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Slavery, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Pirates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-01-15 09:43:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 1,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12318498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asselin/pseuds/Asselin
Summary: A series of short snippets based off of AU prompts.





	1. Historical - early 20th century

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU where Lloyd is a British soldier wounded in WWI and Colette is a nurse at the aid station he's sent to.

She's there when he wakes, his eyes squinting against a wash of disorientation. Her back is turned to him, and for a moment he wonders about the crisp white uniform she wears.

Then the memories begin to seep back, and he realizes where he is.

His left hand isn't the same hot shimmer of pain that it was when he passed out, and looking down he can see it swathed in bandages. So it didn't have to be cut off, after all. It's a fairly small victory, but he'll take it.

"You're awake."

He startles, coming back to himself to find that the nurse has turned around. And-- she looked tiny from behind, but her face... She looks too young to be here, more like the kind of girl you'd take to a dance than a nurse in a warzone. But if she's here, then she must be older than she looks.

 


	2. Pirates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU where the high-ranking members of Cruxis are pirate lords.

"I thought the great Kratos Aurion didn't take prisoners," Lloyd spits, false bravado welling up to take the place of fear. "So why am I still alive?"

He might as well have kept his mouth shut, for all the reaction he gets. It doesn't even look like his captor is listening, as unblinking eyes search across his features. Is he looking for something? Some kind of intent, or maybe defiance? An excuse to have Lloyd strung up and flogged--pirates are supposed to like that kind of thing, aren't they? Suddenly, he wishes that he'd paid more attention in school when Raine was teaching them about the legendary pirate kings.

"What's a boy like you doing on a ship bound for Palmacosta?"

Lloyd jumps a little in surprise, then bristles reflexively. "I'm on a pilgrimage."

One of Kratos' eyebrows quirks. "You don't strike me as the devout type."

"It's..." He bites his lip. He was lucky enough to survive the attack, but as much as he can't stand the thought, his companions probably weren't. "It was for a friend."

 


	3. Slavery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU where Tethe'alla recently conquered Sylvarant and established human ranches to support their Exsphere consumption.

The kid really isn't much to look at. No older than eighteen, boring brown eyes, a fluff of boring brown hair that's still fighting to stand upright, despite the damp and the general grunge. But boy, is his expression something to look at.

There have been tutors Zelos has flipped the proverbial bird to, countless girls' fathers he's had to run from, and priests who couldn't believe what the Chosen of Regeneration had grown into. In other words, he's used to having people mad at him. But it's safe to say that none of them have ever matched the pure, glaring fury in this whip-thin Sylvaranti boy's eyes.

"Lloyd..." a low, nervous voice hisses. Zelos glances down, catching sight of the younger boy half-hidden behind the other. This one is more sensible, more cowed like Sylvarantis should be. He knows the potential cost of defying their Tethe'allan betters, even only with eyes and expression, and is trying to keep his companion (friend?) from paying that cost.

Zelos sneers. "Hey kid," he calls to the older boy, "if you're gonna keep staring at this face, I'll have to start charging you."

The scowl deepens. Score one for Zelos' ability to annoy people.

The guard closest to the boy lashes out with his whip. "Eyes on the ground, A029!"

 


	4. Military

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU where Lloyd left Iselia to join the city guard in Triet.

"Hey, is there anything we can help with to--" Genis stops, making Colette bump into him from behind with a muffled yelp.

Lloyd's dad is standing near the forge, his head lowered, a slip of paper crumpled in one hand. The envelope it came in is nearby, also battered.

A letter coming to Dirk's house is nothing new, not since Lloyd went to join up with the militia in Triet. Despite the abject loathing he has for writing, he always makes sure to send news, to reassure his dad that everything's okay. But recently, the letters have stopped coming.

"That fool boy's got a heart like no one else, but his memory's no better than a wet sponge," Dirk said at first, with a long sigh. "I was wondering when he'd start forgetting to write."

But that was a week ago, and still no word.

"Dirk?" Colette murmurs, soft and unsure. "Is everything okay?"

Bless the girl for asking, even though it really obviously isn't.

"Who's the letter from?" Genis asks in an equally quiet tone. Now that Colette has broken the silence, the question is easier to voice, but the answer isn't any easier to wait for.

Dirk clears his throat roughly. "It's from Triet. They're saying that the Desians attacked."

Colette's hands flutter to her mouth. "Lloyd's okay, though, right?"

The dwarf shakes his head, mute.

 


	5. Always a different gender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU where Zelos is female.

It takes three days before Lloyd can't stand not knowing anymore.

"So what's up with your name?" he blurts as they walk.

The Tethe'allan Chosen glances at him with a curious grin, one eyebrow quirked like Raine does whenever Lloyd asks a stupid question. "What about it?" she asks.

"Well, I mean-- Zelos doesn't sound much like a girl's name, does it? I thought it'd be more like Sheena's. More... you know..."

"More feminine?" Zelos finishes with a chuckle. "Yeah, I've wondered about that sometimes too. But you'd have to ask my parents, and that would be pretty tough."

"Really? Why?"

She shrugs. "'Cause they're both dead."

"...Oh." Lloyd winces. "I'm sorry." Not really the most original of reactions, but there's not much else he can say. He shouldn't have pried to begin with, but if there's any way he can stick his foot in something, he always does.

But Zelos just giggles, as unconcerned as ever. "Aww, such a gentleman."

 


	6. Animals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU where Lloyd is Colette's dog.

A hand grabs hold of his coat, insistent, and in his surprise he briefly loses hold of his charming veneer. "Wh--"

It's a girl with long blonde hair, big blue eyes, and the most endearingly meek expression on her face. "Um, I'm sorry to bother you, but... have you seen a dog here recently?"

He blinks. A dog? She's got the kind of face that could have dozens--hundreds--of boys fawning over her every move, and she's busy looking for a dog?

"How dare you touch the Chosen so casually, you filthy commoner?" demands a woman near the front of the throng surrounding him, apparently having recovered from the horror of a non-noble being so close. There are grumbles of agreement from the rest of the crowd, but Zelos has recovered enough to raise both hands and paste on a sunny smile.

"Ladies, laaaadies," he cajoles, "no need to get all worked up! It'd be a shame if you ruined your pretty faces with the way you're scowling! How's about I just give this little cutie what she wants, and then we can all go, hmm?"

A grudging silence falls over the plaza, and he turns back to the girl. "You wanna know if I've seen a dog?"

She nods emphatically. "Yes! He's brown, with shaggy fur, and..."

A moment passes, without another word out of her. "And?" he finally prompts, leaning down to her level.

"Oh! And his name's Lloyd!"

...Well, this was a waste of time. "Sorry, haven't seen him."

Her face falls. "Oh. Well, um, thank you for trying to help."

 


	7. Canon event changed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I got into the fandom, I promised myself to never touch this part of the game. Less than a month later, here I am, touching it.

"M-make sure to destroy... my Cruxis Crystal...."

Zelos' voice fades, and his head lolls back to the floor, eyes closing. He's so pale, his skin's whiteness made worse by the vibrant scarlet of his hair and the blood that speckles his face. Already, he looks like a corpse.

Lloyd grits his teeth, fighting back tears. He's still in shock from the betrayal, self-blame for letting it come to this fresh in his mind. "Professor..."

"He's still alive," Raine tells him curtly. "Though he won't be for much longer without healing."

"Then do it."

Regal's voice brings him out his half-numbed stupor a moment later. "He tried to kill us, Lloyd. If it had been one of us lying there, he would have shown that person no mercy."

"So we're just supposed to sit here and watch him die?!" This close to Zelos, he swears he can feel the life, the very mana, draining out the Chosen's body. "Professor, please!"

Raine gives him a long, searching look, and his stomach finally sinks. She won't do it... and the only other person who could is the one lying in a pool of his own blood.

"It's my fault," he whispers, bowing his head. "I knew he was hiding something, and I never bothered to try and get it out of him."

"You tried, Lloyd," Sheena murmurs. "You tried so many times, and all he ever did was brush you off and pretend everything was okay. I know it's not easy to accept, but he made his choice; it was just different from ours in the end."

"But how didn't we see it?"

"He's always been good at hiding things. It's kinda been part of the job."

 


	8. Fantasy/supernatural - mages

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU where everyone is theoretically capable of using magic.

"Can you teach me?"

The look of disdain that Lloyd gets is enough to make him both grit his teeth and squirm. "You want to learn magic?"

"Y-yeah."

"There wouldn't be any point," Kratos tells him flatly. "You lack the patience necessary for battle magic, and it would take you months to learn even the most basic spell. You're better suited to the front lines."

"I wanna learn how to heal." The words slip out, bringing a flush of embarrassment to his cheeks, but it's too late to take them back now. Let the jerk tell him he's 'not suited' if he wants.

Disdain turns into surprise. "I'm not the one you should be asking, then."

"I- I thought maybe it was different for you than for the Professor."

Kratos snorts. "Might I ask why this sudden change? I was under the impression you preferred being in the front."

"Well, yeah, but... It just looks like healing us gets kind of tiring for you and Professor Raine, and Genis said that maybe if we had someone else to do it, we'd be more affluent."

"...Affluent?"

"That's what I said," Lloyd says earnestly. "He told me it meant that we'd work better."

"You mean efficient."

The blush that he'd just been getting under control comes back full force. "Yeah, that."

 


End file.
